A few of our distinctives

Jesus

We celebrate consideration and spiritual exploration, but as a community we have discovered and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Jesus was fully God and fully man, making him uniquely the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6).
Through Jesus’ incarnation, sinless life, substitutionary death and victorious resurrection, we have salvation. We respond by loving, focusing on, and pursuing relationship with Jesus. In Christ alone we find hope, restoration, and eternal life.
Our community exists to help people come to know Jesus more fully.

Gospel Centered

The gospel is of first importance (1 Cor. 15). It forms the center of all we teach, preach, and live out. We must return to it again and again.
We must be reminded of the grace God has unconditionally poured over sinful humanity through the birth, life, death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ. This is infinitely good news and must be claimed and proclaimed by God’s people with passion and clarity.
Putting the gospel at the center of church culture, its rhythms, and its mission is critical to our effective witness in Seattle. We believe that secondary theological issues are important, but because they often divide communities they should be discussed with charity.
If focusing on the gospel seems redundant, it is! We must be reminded of the gospel daily and weekly because it humbles us, yet gives us worth; it informs us of Jesus’ finished work, yet compels us to join his ongoing mission. Cherish the gospel!

Biblical

Why would God create logical, relational, linguistic beings in which he could not or would not communicate with? We believe God can and does communicate to us, primarily through the miraculous revelation recorded for us by the prophets & apostles — and supernaturally preserved for us — in the 66 books of the Bible.
The God-inspired original autographs were without error and we want to give ourselves wholeheartedly to all they teach (rather than rely on popular trends, thoughts, or mere opinions). Since God has revealed himself through the Scriptures, we begin and end with them in all our consideration.
In this community we teach, preach, and study God’s word. The Bible is our primary source and the final authority on all matters to which it speaks.

Mumford and Sons

What does a London platinum-selling band have to do with a church? Well, let us announce our new worship band! Snap! I wish. Well, if you were to read their lyrics without listening, you would be confused to walk into a M&S concert and see thousands of people dancing and singing those same lyrics at the top of their lungs.
Lyrics like, “Awake my soul... For you were made to meet your maker!” M&S taps into something very human; we desire thought-provoking poetic truth and a reason to dance. People crave both truth and joy. However, musicians and churches tend to appeal to one or the other. We celebrate at the expense of, or in ignorance of the truth.
Or we seek truth that never bids us to come and dance. This need not be the case. It is Christianity that provides the only reasonable solution to this dilemma. The primary paradox of the gospel is that Jesus death leads to new life. Christianity requires us to admit with painful honesty the profound truth of our inadequacy and our deep need for God to save us.
And we celebrate because God does save us in Christ, At the cross of Christ, accepting the deepest truth and falling to your knees, leads to an exaltation never before experienced. So, at Sideris we want to be people of both the cross and the resurrection. We provoke, expose, and proclaim truth (depravity, sin, our need for a savior), and celebrate God’s solution in Christ.
Honest consideration always leads to celebration!

Simple

Don’t spend all of your time at church. We want our people to be free and available to be active and influential members of other communities. This is how those outside the church usually encounter Christ. He makes himself known through his ambassadors. So get out of the embassy and be a good friend, neighbor, and coworker!

Humanity

All people are created in God’s image, but all have sinned and fallen short of his glory. We cannot save ourselves by moral achievement, but need divine intervention: that's where Jesus comes in.

The Trinity

The one true God eternally exists as three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each member of the Trinity is fully and equally God.